Thanks to the clever manipulation of on-board computers, tuners can change far more than just the power output of your car. Modern cars rely heavily on computers to control virtually every aspect of the vehicle including the drivetrain, infotainment, and safety features to name a few.

These computer systems make it hard for the average car owner to work on their vehicle, however, it opens up a world of opportunity for tuners. Take for example the high-performance BMW X3 M, which now has a rear-wheel-drive mode thanks to the clever tuners at Mission Performance.

It’s fairly commonplace to see tuners adding impressive horsepower to turbocharged engines with a simple tune file, but a new market is slowly emerging. Now with greater computer-integration, tuners can access more aspects of a vehicle. Tuners can add flex-fuel capabilities to allow cars to run e85 ethanol, reprogram automatic transmissions, and even change how your brake lights react to different brake pressure. Although these features are impressive; Mission Performance has changed the game allowing X3 M owners to change their all-wheel-drive SUV into a rear-wheel-drive drift missile at the flip of a switch.

 

This new tune feature is currently in progress while the team works to refine the tune before releasing it to the public. This new feature is offered from the factory on the BMW M5 and M8 so it's certainly within BMW’s capabilities to offer this from the factory, however, they choose not to add this feature to the X3 M. Mission Performance is here to make things right and offer owners the option to have a rear-wheel-drive BMW performance SUV.

The results are predictably amazing as the X3 M completes some impressive donuts without any intervention from the front wheels. This ability offers the best of both worlds and allows you to enjoy the benefits of all-wheel-drive or rear-wheel-drive with the flip of a switch.